402 A SHORT HISTORY OF THE BRITISH ARMY

doing and inflicted on us such heavy losses that General
Cunningham, fearing the complete destruction of his armoured
troops, sought General Auchinleck's leave to break off the battle.
This was refused, and on the 26th General Ritchie took his place
as commander of the Eighth Army with the task of pressing the
attack through to victory. By this time the XHIth Corps had
recaptured the Sidi Rezegh ridge and joined hands with the

Abyssinian Campaign.

MAP 32.

Tobruk garrison, thus closing the enemy's line of retreat to the
west, which however he later succeeded in reopening. Both sides
were now all but fought to a standstill and a drive against his
right flank south of Tobruk, compelled him to retire to Gazala,
where he vainly attempted a final stand. It now only remained for
us to deal with the hostile frontier garrisons, the last of which
surrendered on January 17, 1942. Our forward troops on the
main front had meanwhile re-occupied Western Cyrenaica and
stood once more facing the formidable Agheila position, where
Wavell's men had been halted after their series of victories a year
earlier*